On May 25, 2018, the European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became effective in the 28 member states of the EU and the three additional countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) that, together with the EU member states, constitute the European Economic Area (EEA). (It replaces the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC.) The GDPR affects US-based life science and academic research communities engaged in various arrangements, such as US-sponsored clinical trials occurring in the EEA, or studies that involve transferring personal data from the EEA to the US. To comply with the GDPR, all institutions need to be equipped with strategies for determining whether the GDPR will apply to them and, if it applies, how to process and transfer personal data to the US lawfully. Read more